Strip uncoiler



June 15, 1943. E. R. TYRRELL 2,321,878

STRIP UNCOILER Filed April 9, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 III'I I l" h Q Q n I: m a o a 22m a K qr J L- a T Q 3mm emm ET IQ TYRKELL June 15,1943. E, R, TYRRELL, 2,321,878 S TRIP UNCOILER v Filed April 9, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Z 'emmeT a. rvnneu.

Patented June 15, 1943 s'rmr UNCOILER Emmet R. Tyrrell, Youngstown, Ohio, assignor to The Fessler Machine Company, Sharon, Pa. :2 corporation of Pennsylvania Application-April 9, 1940, Serial N0. 328,685

14 Claims.

This invention relates to a metal strip uncoiler and more particularly to new and improved features of construction, combinations-of elements, and arrangement of parts in an apparatus capable of rapidly uncoiling lengths of metal strip from succeeding coils of such strip and emitting the lengths in flat and worked condition substantially free from coil breaks and unrelieved internal strains which mitigate against the subsequent workability of the metal strip and the quality of the finished product.

In the conventional uncoiling of certain metal strip such as non-annealed hot rolled strip and strip containing silicon, for example, the strip, by reason of its having attained a "set in the convolutions of the coil, issues from the coil in a series of arcuately disposed increments and as the length of one such increment immediately adjacent the coil approaches the peripheral extent of its prior convolution the strip will buckle transversely (bend reversely) and another arouately shaped section or increment will-start to form. It is found that the metal along the transverse zone of the buckle will in part bestressed beyond its elastic limit and small minute ative to uncoil metal strip including silicon steel and non-annealed hot rolled strip without the objectionable formation of coil breaks in the strip. This is accomplished in accordance with the invention by moving the strip away from the coil through a spiral curve, the maximum incremental radius of which is less than the maximum incremental radius of the free arcuately disposed increments or sections mentioned above, and grasping the strip tightly between transverse surfaces, as rolls, within the length being uncoiled at which buckling would normally occur. The strip is thus prevented from buckling and is then passed directly from the confining 'rolls through a roller leveler of conventional design where the internal stresses which give the strip its tendency to buckle are removed.

. Another object of the invention is theprovision of an apparatus for uncoiling metal strip which is substantially automatic in its operation whereby the unpleasant and dangerous taskof manually handling the coils and manually starting the end of the strip into apulling device is obviated but which nevertheless is simple and practical in design and economical to construct.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a machine which is capable of uncoiling .succeeding coils of metal strip in a rapid and' expeditious manner whereby the machine will possess new utility at the start of various processing or fabricating lines where the demands of the process or the economical operation of the line requires a substantially uninterrupted supply of uncoiled strip. The machine of this invention has particular application at the start of a supply line supplying continuous and uhbroken skelp tothe furnace and mill of a Fretz- Moon plant for producing pipe which is essentially a continuous process. Since ordinarily less than a minute can be allotted to the welding apparent that the above mentioned specific use is illustrative only as the principles and apparatus of the invention are equally applicable to otherspecific uses.

A furthercbject of the invention is the incorporation in an apparatus for uncoiling metal strip of improved side guides which are operative to realign the side edges of the convolutions of the coil preparatory to the uncoiling of the strip whereby the orderly unwinding of the coil is insured and damage to the strip by reason of entanglement or wedging of the convolutions is eliminated. This result is accomplished according to the invention by slidably mounting a guide plate on either side of the coil and providing an air cylinder or other equivalent motor means for each of the plates whereby the plates may be rapidly moved toward and away from each other into and out of engagement with the side edges of the convolutions of the coil to'rapidly align the edges, This feature is of particular importance in the handling of narrow stock, such as is used in the manufacture of small diametered pipe, since 'coils'of such stock have a tendency to bow in or out and 'not maintain their plane .faces.

The above and other objects and advantages the invention; 1

' 3| to which is fastened a consideration of the following detailed specification and the accompanying drawings wherein there is specifically disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention. Referring to the drawings wherein similar reference characters are applied to corresponding parts throughout the various views:

Figure 1 is anend view of a machine constructed in accordance with the principles of Figure 2 is a top view of the machine of Figur l;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the machine of Figure l, the view being taken along the line III11I of Figure 1; and j t Figure 4 is a sectional view of the coil retaining mandrel constituting part of the machine of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings, reference numeral l designates a vertically extending frame member or column of which there are four. A top housing II is rigidly attached to the upper ends of'the columns l0 and carries on its upper side four gear housings l2, each of which encloses a bevel gear (not shown) having a threaded central bore. Extending in screw-threaded connection through each of the bevel gears is an elongated screw l3 which extends downwardly through the housing ll along the columns 10.

Screws l3 are connected at their lower ends with the journaled blocks l4 and I5 suitably guided for vertical movement by the columns l5, one block being provided on either side of the machine; Journaled in the blocks I4 and I5 are a pair of spaced parallel coil supporting and rotating rolls it which are arranged to be driven by the elongated shafts I'l flexibly coupled at l8 with the rolls l6 and slidably coupled at I! with the output shafts of speed reducing transmissions (Figure 2). Transmissions 20 are coupled together by the shaft 2| and are driven by a motor 22 through shaft 23.

Referring now to Figure 2, the bevel ring gears in the housings l2 are each driven by a bevel pinion gear (not shown) and an extra bevel pinion gear is provided in the housings l2, which are towards the rear end of the machine, to provide means whereby all of. the bevel ring gears are rotated in unison. For this purpose a common shaft 25, driven by a motor through a suitable drive 21, is keyed to each of the drivin pinions in the housings l2 and shafts 23 interconnect the driven pinions in the housings l2 with the driving pinions'in the housings l2. Motor 25 is energized through any suitable power circuit under the control of a motor controller which may be located remote from the machine, as is well understood. The threads of the screws l3 and the mating bevel ring gears are so chosen that upon rotation of the motor 25 in one direction all the screws 13 and consequently the ceived i joumaled blocks l4 and I5 will rise together and upon rotation of the motor in the opposite-direction these parts will be lowered. Couplings l3 and I9 are of the type which will allow some elongation of the complete drive shafting and this, together with the substantial length of the shafts l1, enables the coil supporting roll l5 to be driven regardless of the vertical position of the rolls relative to other parts of the machine.

Extending outwardly from one side of the columns and substantially midway between the front and back pairs of columns is a supmrt and slide 33 having a rigidly attached upstanding eye hollow guide rod 32.

cylinder is provided with an annular recess 33 about the rod 32 connecting with a port which in turn is connected withan air inlet and exhaust line 33. A bore 40 controlledby a needle valve 4| connects the space within the cylinder also with the line 33 but'outwardly of the recess 33. To the rod 32 is fastened a collar 42 which, when the cylinder 34 is moved to the right as viewed in Figure 4, moves into the recess 33 thus sealing up the principal air exit and requiring the remaining trapped air to meter through the bore 40, thus providing an air cushion to cushion the stopping movement of the parts. It' should be apparent that a similar arrangement may be incorporated in the opposite cylinder head to cushion the stop when the parts are moved in the reverse direction.

An air line 44 connects with the hollow rod 32' and it should be obvious that with the parts assembled and in the positions shown in Figure 4,

return'the parts to the position. shown in full lines. Cylinder 34 carries a rotatable sleeve 45 which is journaled onthe cylinder by suitable antifriction bearings 45 and when the cylinder is moved to its dotted line. position the sleeve 45 will substantially span the housings 41. A collar 43 is mounted on the cylinder 34 on the other side of the sleeve 45 from the head 36 and when the parts are moved to their operative positions the collar 45 is received within a bearing 43in a similar bearing 43 in the other of the housings Thus the collar 43 and head 35 provide a rugged support for the cylinder' 34. In Figure l the sleeve or mandrel 45,is shown the adjilizijt housing 41 and the head 36 is rein operative housing spanning position.

Housings 41 extend outwardly toward the rear of the machine in spaced parallel relation and journaled irithese housings is a lower pinch roll 55 and the lower rolls 5| of a rollerleveler assembly which is positioned adjacent the pinch rolls. Upper pinch roll 52 is journaled in a block 53 which is suitably guided for vertical movement in the housings and is connected at its ends with a pair of rods 54 which in turn are connected to and moved vertically by an air cylinder 55. C011 springs 55, encircling the rods 54 and bearing against the top of the block 53, apply the required pressure between the rolls 54 and 52 but the air cylinder 55 is of sufllcient capacity to raise the upper roll 52 against the compression of the springs 55. It should be noted that the pass plane of the pinch rolls is substantially horizontal and that the pass line is only slightly removed from the vertical plane, including the axis of rotation of the mandrel 45, and in actual practice this interval is only ap proximately nine inches but it should be understood that it may be lengthened or shortened somewhat depending on the diameter of the coils on which the machine will normally bk Forwardly of the pinch rolls are the upper and lower arcuately shaped guides 59 and 50, the function of which will become apparent later.

For co-action with the lower rolls of the roller leveler assembly are the upper rolls 5|, each of which is 'journaled in a vertically slidable block 62, and the vertical positions of the blocks are individually controlled by the screws 3 operated by the hand wheel 64 in a conventional manner. The pinch rolls and the rolls of the roller leveler are driven in accordance with usual practice by spindles 65 flexibly interconnected with the rolls and with the gears housed in a gear box 66. The gears in turn are driven by a motor 61 and to aid in the precise control of the operation of the machine motor 61 is provided with a conventional magnetic brake, indicated generally by the reference numeral 68., Motor 61 and gear case 66 are conveniently supported on a base 89 extending outwardly to one side of the housings and columns.

Positioned on either side of the machine and normally outward of the space taken up in the machine by a coil strip is a side guide or plate which extends upwardly from the. horizontal plane of the rolls iii to above the guides 59 and 5.. See Figure 3. Plates I0 are provided with apertures to accommodate the mandrel assembly 32-48 and'are each rigidly attached by welding or otherwise to'the inner ends of slide II which are slidably mounted in guideways I2 extending outwardly from either side of the machine. The outer end of the slides II are each connected with the piston rod of an air cylinder I3 which in practice are pneumatically connectedtogether whereby they will be operated simultaneously. The air cylinders 13 are thus opera-- tive to rapidly move the guide plates Ill toward and away from each other and the function of the arrangement is to rapidly align the side edges of the various convolutions of the coil when the coil is first deposited in the machine and to serve as guides for the side edges of the strip as the same is being unwound from the coil.

Attached to the top housing II by means of the bracket 15 are four slide guides 16 through which slide the two rods TI. The latter extend substantially radially outward from the axis of rotation of the mandrel 45 or of the coil positioned about the mandrel and carry at their lower ends a yoke 18 in which is journaled a magnetic roll 19. The axis of rotation of the magnetic roll is substantially parallel with that of the coil mandrel and pinch rolls and is adapted tobe moved towards and away from the coil and mandrel by an air cylinder 80 carried by the bracket 15.

Inclined downwardly tlon of the cradle roll l6 is a conveyor 82"for conveying the coils of strip to be 'uncoiled to the machine. which coils are designated by reference numeral 83 in the drawings. A stop ll ex? tending up through the upper plane of the conveyer is provided to limit the movement of a particular coil along the conveyer. Stop It may be recontracted by a suitable motor, as the air cylinder 85, and this is actuated when it is desired to supply another coil to the machine. Reference numeral 86 indicates idling rolls to confine the outer limits of the coil.

The operation of the above specifically described embodiment of the invention will now be described. It should be apparent that the air and electrical controls for the various cylinders and motors of the machine may be grouped together in a control pulpit or other suitable control point whereby the operation of the machine may be entirely controlled by a single operator or, if desired, certain of the controls maybe allotted to one operator and other of the controls be allotted to another. For example, if the machine is to be used in connection with a weldin machine to supply continuous unbroken strip for any purpose, the control of the motor 61, the

operation of which determines the output of the machine, will undoubtedly be given to the welding machine operator While the other controls for the machine will be given to an operator who can observe closely the operation of the machine. Assuming that the machine is empty, the guides 10 apart, the cradle rolls I6 at their lowermost position and a coil of stock 83 on conveyer 82 and against stop 84, the operator, by now actuating cylinder 85 and moving stop 84 below the upper plane of the conveyer, will allow the coil 83 to roll down onto the cradle roll I. Motor 26 is now energized and the screws l3 and consequently the cradle roll l5 will be elevated. Simultaneously, air may be alternately supplied to the inner and outer ends of the cylinders II and this will result in the alignment of the side edges of the coil as explained above.

Motor 26 is energized until the center opening in the coil coincides with the projection of the mandrel 45 at which time the mandrel may be moved through the coil to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 4 by admitting air through towards the lower posiconduit 44. The coil, however, remains supported on the cradle roll l6 and these are now rotated slowly by energization of motor 22 and the magnetic roll I9 is brought into contact with the outer periphery of the coil. As the outer end of the coil comes under the roll 15 air is admitted to the cylinder 80 and the roll and the coil end which is attracted thereto is moved out wardly away from the body of the coil. Continued rotation of the coil moves the withheld end between the guides 59 and 6|] and in between the rolls and 52. As the end of the strip is being threaded into the rolls 50 and 52, upper roll .52 is retracted by air under pressure supplied to the cylinder but as the end of the strip moves through the pass between the rolls air is released from the cylinder 55 and the springs 56 are then operative to apply pressure between the rolls. When the end of the strip is anchored between the pinch rolls the magnetic roll 19 may be withdrawn and the cradle roll l6 lowered, after which the coil is supported on themandrel 45. The strip may now be-uncoiled at will by controlling the energization of motor 61 which drives the pinch rolls 50 and 52 and the rolls 5| and GI of the roller leveler.

It should be apparent that the pinch rolls 5' and 52 will confine the strip between linear surfaces extending transversely of the strip.- The material moves directly from the pinch rolls into the adjacent roller leveler formed by the rolls II and in the roller leveler the stresses set up in the strip by the set undertaken in the coil are eliminated and this of course eliminates any tendency that the strip may have to subsequently wave or buckle. Thus, the machine is operative to uncoll strip in a fiat level condition substantially free from coil breaks.

As the uncoiling of a particular coil is completed the mandrel 45 is withdrawn by admitting air through conduit 39 and the next succeeding coil is delivered to the lowered cradle roll l6 by again withdrawing stop 84. 'Ihe operations deand, as an operator readily acquires skill in the manipulation of the various controls, the leading end of a succeeding coil may be placed between the rolls 50 and 52 in a very short time after the trailing end of the first coil leaves the machine.

An important feature oi the invention is the manner in which the strip is taken oil the coil. By referring to Figure 3, it will be noted that the strip leaves the coil in a spiral curve which extends smoothly outward from the outer periphery of the coil. This curve is substantially tangent to the pass plane of the rolls SI and 52, which plane, for purposes or definition, is taken as the plane which a flat piece of metal would occupy it unrestrained and held between the rolls. This plane is substantially coincident with the general plane of the pass through the roller leveler. It has been found that it the strip is taken 08 in the manner indicated there is no tendency oi the strip which lies between the pinch rolls and the coil proper to bend or buckle and thusthere is-eliminated the principal cause of coil breaks. If -a coil of metal is unwound and the uncoiled portion unrestrained, a series'of arcuately shaped portions or waves will be formed therein and these will be separated by more severe reverse bend'sat position of the cradle rolls It with the diameter of the coil whereby thecoil may be continuously supported by the cradle rolls and maintained at a heighth suflicient to enable the strip to be taken oif the coil in the manner explained-above. In this modification the mandrel 45 may be eliminated. It is also contemplated that in certain instances the mandrel 45 may be retained in retracted position and the coil supported by the cradle rolls which are moved up under manual control as the coil decreases in diameter during the uncoiling operation.

By reason of the manner in which the strip is taken on the coil and confined laterally in a suitable pass, as, for example, the pass formed by a pair of pinch rolls, the strip is uncoiled without the formation of coil breaks therein as explalned above. At the transverse line of confinement or pass line the strip moves from the curved condition into fiat condition, -the flat being substantially coincident with the plane of the pass. Also the pass plane is, at the pass line, tangent to the curve and the pass line is in the projection of the coil 'in a direction toward and normal to the pass plane. It should now be apparent that I have provided a method and apparatus which accomplishes the objects initially set out. By the use of the method it is possible to rapidly uncoil the strip without the formation of obiectionablecoil breaks in the strip while the uncoiiing is accomplished under accurate control. The apparatus or the invention is simple and practical in and economical to construct and may be operated by a single operator in a substantially-automatic manner whereby strip from succeeding coils may be delivered by the apparatus with short time intervals between the succeeding lengths of'strip.

The above specifically described embodiments of the invention should be considered as illustra- 2,321,878 scribed immediately above may now be repeated tive only as obviously many changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Reference should therefore be had to the appended claims in determining the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for-uncoiling metal strip comprising in combination a pair of spaced parallel coil supporting rolls, means to rotate said rolls whereby a coil of strip supported thereon will be rotated, means to elevate said rolls, a pair of pinch rolls positioned above and intermediate said supporting rolls and adapted to engage the strip as it unwinds from said coil without interiering with the natural curve inherent in said strip, and a magnetic roll adjacent said pinch rolls, said magnetic roll being movable radially outward from said coil-to attract the end of the outer convolution of the coil away. from the coil proper and to guide the same between said pinch rolls as said coil is rotated by said supporting rolls.

2. Apparatus for uncoiling metal strip comprising in combination a pair of spaced parallel coil supporting rolls, means to rotate said rolls whereby a coil of strip supported thereon will be rotated, a magnetic roll, a pair of pinch rolls positioned above and intermediate said supporting rolls and circumfere'ntially spaced relative to the supported coil from said magnetic roll, and means to move said magnetic roll radially with respect to said coil whereby the end of the outer convolution of the coil maybe attracted away from the coil proper and guided between the pinch rolls as said coil is rotated by said supporting rolls.

3. Apparatus for uncoiling metal strip comprising in combination means to support and rotate a coil of. strip, a pair of pinch rolls adjacent the periphery of the coil and having a pass plane substantially tangent to a short spiral curve emanating from the outer peripheral contour of said coil, a magnetic roll, and means mounting said magnetic roll for rotation about an axis generally parallel with the axis otsaid coil and for movement radially of said coil whereby the end of the outer convolution of said coil may be attracted fromthe coil proper and guided between said. pinch rolls during operation throughsthe center opening of a coil when the same is positioned on said rolls and to be retracted to enable acoil to be positioned on said rolls, a strip confining pass adjacent the peripheryof the coil, theplane of the pass being substantially tangent to a spiral curve emanating from the outer peripheral contour of said coil when in position on said-rolls, a roller leveler adjacent the leaving side of said pass and adapted to work on the strip as the same-issues through said pass,

means to rotate the rolls of the leveler, the arrangement o! the parts being such that the strip leavingthecoilwillbeconfinedinsaidpassand worked in'said leveler before any reverse bends or tive movement toward and away from each other,

motor meansmove said guides rapidly toward and away fro each other, and a magne ic rollmovable radially of said'coil to attract the end of the outer convolution of the coil away from the coil proper and guide the same into said pass as the coil is rotated by the coil supporting and rotating rolls.

5. Apparatus for uncoiling metal strip. comprising in combination means to support and elevate a coil of strip, a longitudinally slideable mandrel adapted to be inserted through the center opening of a coil when the same is moved to elevated position, a side guide on either side of said coil andhaving an opening to receive said mandrel, said guides extending downwardly to substantially the lowermost position of said supporting and elevating means, means mounting said side guides independently of said mandrel,

and means comprising a cylinder and piston to rapidly move said guides into and out of engagement with the sides of a coil.

6. Apparatusaccording to claim 5 further including a pair of pinchrolls having a pass plane substantially tangent to a short spiral curve emanating from the outer peripheral contour of the coil when the same is in position on said mandrel.

7. Apparatus for uncoiling metal strip comprising in combination a pair of spaced Parallel rolls to support and rotate a coil of strip, means to rotate said roll a pair of pinch rolls positioned above said supporting rolls but within the vertical projection of a coil supported thereon, the

, which will form in the strip if the strip is unretrained and means to move said supporting rolls only in a vertical direction during the uncoiling of a coil of strip to maintain the length of strip between the coil and the pinch rolls substantially constant.

8. Apparatus for uncoiling metal strip comprising in combination a mandrel adapted to be inserted in the opening of the coil to rotatably support the coil, a pair oi. pinch rolls supported in parallel relation with said mandrel and having a pass plane which at the pass line between the pinch rolls s substantially tangent to the curve followed by the strip as it leaves the outer periphcry of the coil. said pinch rolls and said mandrel being so positioned relative to each other that said curve is substantially coincident with the natural position which the strip would assume if unrestrained and freed from the coil.

,9. The method of uncoiling metal strip which consists of moving the strip from the coil lengthwise along a curved path which is substantially coincident with the natural position which. the strip would assume it unrestrained and freed from the coil confining the strip laterally at the outer end or said curved path in a pass the plane of which at the pass line is substantially tangent to the curve followed by the strip as it leaves the outer periphery of the coil, said pass line being in the projection of the coil in a direction normal to said plane, and during the uncoiling operation retaining the center of the coil substantially at a predetermined position relative to said plane and line.

10. Apparatus for uncoiling metal strip comprising in combination a plurality of spaced vertically extending columns, a housing secured to the upper ends of said columns, a support within the lower portion of the space defined by said columns, a pair of spaced parallel coil supporting and rotating rolls joumaled in said support, depending supporting members carried by said housing and secured at their lower ends to said support, means to raise and lower said depending members, means to drive said coil supporting and rotating rolls in any position of said support, a pair of pinch rolls positioned above said supporting rolls and in parallel relation therewith, the pass plane of said pinch rolls being tangent to a short spiral curve emanating from the outer contour of a coil resting on said coil supporting rolls when said support is in at least a partially elevated position, and means to drive said pinch rolls.

- 11. Apparatus according to claim 10 further including a power operated means to quickly move said pinch rolls apart, and a magnetic roll adapted to contact the outer periphery of said coil and mounted for movement radially outward of said coil whereby the outer end of a strip of said coil may be withdrawn from the coil proper and guided between the opened pinch rolls.

12. Apparatus for uncoiling metal strip comprising a plurality of spaced vertically extending columns, a housing secured to the upper ends of said columns, a coil support positioned in the lower portion of the space defined by said columns, a plurality of depending members carried by said housing and connecting at their lower end with said coil support, means to raise and lower said depending members, a mandrel mounted for longitudinal sliding movement ina horizontal direction between said columns, to pass through the center opening of a coil elevated by said support, a pair of pinch rolls having a pass-plane closely adjacent the outer periphery of a coil supportedon said mandrel and substantially tangent to a short spiral curve emanating from the outer contour of said coil, and means to drive said pinch rolls.

13. Apparatus for uncoiling metal strip comprising in combination means to support and rotate a coil of strip, means to elevate said supporting and rotating means whereby a coil of strip may be rotated when in elevated position, a pair of pinch rolls positioned adjacent the outer periphery of said coil and having a pass plane substantially tangent to a short spiral cur-ve emanating from the outer peripheral contour of said coil, said pinch rolls being adapted to receive the strip as it moves along said curve from the coil, a curved guide adjacent the entering side of said pinch rolls and positioned between said curve and the coil, one of said rolls being journaledin a block slideable toward and away from the other of said rolls, resilient means normally urging said rolls into engagement with each other, and power operated means to move said block against the force of said resilient means whereby said rolls may be quickly moved apart to allow the outer end of the strip to enter between said rolls upon rotation of said coil.

14. Apparatus for uncoiling metal strip comprising in combination a pair of spaced parallel coil supporting rolls, means to rotate said rolls, a pair of pinch rolls positioned within the projection ofthe coil supported on said supporting rolls in a. direction normal to the pass plane of the-pinch rolls, said pinch rolls being positioned closely adjacent the outer periphery of said coil when in initial uncoiling position with said pass plane substantially tangent to a short spiral curve emanating from the outer periphery of said coil,

said pinch rolls being adapted to receive the stripas it moves along said curve from the coil whereby the strip is confined between the pinch rolls at an interval along said curve spaced from the coil proper which is less than the normal interval between buckles which would form in the strip if the strip were unrestrained, and means to move said' supporting rolls in said direction normal to the pass plane of said pinch rolls during the uncoiling of a coil of strip whereby the length of strip between the coil proper and the p inch rolls is maintained substantially constant.

' EMMET R. TYRRELIQ 

